When Smiles Fade
by Yesm777
Summary: Eli and Ria are stuck tracking down a suspect. But, when everything twists in a direction they had never planned to go, they must depend on hope and fate to provide better alternatives to their predicament. Warning: Eli abuse!
1. Surprise!

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: I was planning a different fanfiction...but this one just popped out of_ _my head and screamed, "write me!" So, I did. :P I thought there needed to be more Loker stories and I wanted to add to the small pool of them. :) I really hope you like it (as I always do)! Sorry, it's a short chapter because this is just how I wanted to open the story; cut me some slack! Reviews please! I really appreciate them. :)_

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**1. Surprise!**

"Isn't it great that Lightman sends _us_ looking for this guy?" Loker snorted as he stepped over large scraps of junk metal.

"Get over it." Ria mumbled as she stared up at the abandoned brick building. Their lead was supposedly a man that lived on the streets. He was spotted most often at the building they were now stumbling over trash and debris to get to. Rumor was, he was more than talented at making bombs, but it was hard for Eli and Ria to take it seriously. A homeless guy making bombs? When they first heard it, their lips pulled up in a sly smirk; but that little gesture convinced Lightman to send them to the messy, abandoned building.

"I just got these new slacks..." Ria sighed to herself.

"Get over it." Eli teased and a warm chuckle followed. "Maybe you can bill Lightman for the dry cleaning." Ria smiled slightly as she carefully stepped over crumbled bricks.

Finally, they reached the building and ventured through the open door. It was empty inside and each room they wandered into had brick walls and concrete floors.

"Hello? Mr. Jacobson?" Ria called out as they stepped into a third empty room. She and Eli stepped further into the room, combing the area with their eyes.

_Slam!_ The door closed behind them and the there was _click_ as the lock turned. Eli and Ria paused as the realization of the circumstances sunk in. Were they just locked into some creepy building?

"Ugh! Please tell me this isn't happening right now!" Eli growled.

"This isn't happening right now." Ria replied obediently. Eli shot her an amused glare, despite the situation. She made her way back to the door and tried to heave it open.

"It's locked. Great. How are we going to get out of here?" Eli huffed, looking around him for a way out.

"You are _not_ helping." Ria muttered, glancing around for something to use as a tool. Eli was quiet and she allowed herself a sigh of relief.

"We have a problem, Torres..." he said quietly, staring up at the high ceiling. She adjusted her body to get a glimpse of what Eli was referring to. A small red light flickered on a contraption strapped to the ceiling with black duct tape. Below the light, she recognized a glowing, green rectangle; it was probably some sort of screen. Ria gaped at it, knowing exactly what it was. The wires and the other pieces of the appearance had been something she'd seen in several shows and movies: a bomb.

"I think Jacobson just played us...." Loker mumbled, still staring at the device. Unlike her partner, Torres kept her distance. A small beep sounded and Eli's eyebrows shot up, turning to Ria.

"Get down!" he shouted, just as the explosive ignited.

* * *

"That was sort of mean of you to send those two to get Jacobson." Gillian observed, stuffing some Chinese take-out into her mouth.

"They weren't taking this case seriously!" Cal defended, his voice high-pitched, but a broad grin was across his face.

"But that building is practically out in the middle of nowhere!" Gillian pointed out, digging into the take-out box. It was one of those special days where they ate lunch together, and, as usual, Gillian tried to teach him compassion during their meal.

"Well, love, what's going to happen to them?" Cal asked rhetorically, staring at his own Chinese food. Gillian rolled her eyes and shook her head, not sure if it was possible to get him to understand the basics of kindness.

"You do know that Torres just got those slacks, right? They're going to get dirty!"

Cal shrugged. Gillian sighed.

"Besides, what if Jacobson isn't there at all?" she inquired, putting more chow mein into her mouth.

"I told them not to come back unless they have that bloody bomb-maker!" he explained, harshly setting his Chinese box on his desk. He ripped open the plastic surrounding his fortune cookie angrily. Glaring at a smiling Gillian, he cracked open the cookie and pulled out the paper.

"'Reach out more to others this week...'" Cal read, then glanced up at Gillian. "Did you plant this?"

"No!" she giggled, obviously surprised. She grabbed her own cookie and retrieved it from the plastic. She stared at Cal with a smirk, then cracked hers open.

"'Listen to your instincts.'" she relayed with a grin. "You know, these are never really fortunes, they're more like commandments." Cal smiled at the fact and took a deep sigh.

"I suppose a homeless bomb-maker is pretty funny." he admitted, straying from the topic.

* * *

Ria slowly picked herself up from the rubble, her sore muscles whining. Thank heavens she survived it; it was one of the most frightening experiences of her life. Chunks of the building started falling after the explosion and she couldn't even guess how she was able to dodge the main pieces when she hadn't moved at all. She only had tiny cuts from where little pebbles and grains of metal bit into her flesh and her ears were still ringing, making her dizzy. She was a little disoriented...all the sounds were muffled and her body wasn't quite steady. Ria continued to push herself into an upright position and immediately began looking for Eli. He didn't just pop up like she did, so she climbed over the rubble as she searched more thoroughly. It didn't occur to her that he could be dead; it just wouldn't happen. Loker wouldn't die, he _couldn't_ do that to Ria. Lightman was her mentor, but Eli was her friend and he made her laugh when Lightman made her want to cry. He even made her laugh when he was irritating her; he had that gift. If he died right here, right now, when she needed someone to make her laugh, who would be there for her?

Eli just _couldn't_ die right now.

But, then, what happened to him? The last expression he wore on his face was tattooed into her mind and she couldn't stop thinking about it. He was afraid and worried for her. He placed her safety before his own. Then again, Eli was nice when it really mattered. Sure, he was a tease and he always would be, but his selfishness and pride was only a pretense. He had integrity and he accepted defeat; plus, he wasn't really too good for anything. For the Christmas party, Lightman had given Loker a paper snowflake for the secret Santa gift. Instead of complaining, Eli proudly hung it on the tree, happy his boss had returned from danger unscathed. Eli Loker was like coffee in the morning, or those moments when your favorite song played on the radio. He was the pick-me-up, the little burst of energy to keep you going.

With all the problems Torres had brought to him over the year and a half of her employment, and with all the patience he had, she almost felt guilty expressing her annoyance with some of the things he'd done. But, somewhere he was under this rubble...

She choked back her emotions as her search started to become frantic. It wasn't a small room, yet, it wasn't exceedingly large either. She was going to find Eli...alive and whole.

The buzzing in her ears had finally died down and she tried to listen for any sign of her partner.

"Eli?" she called, waiting for an answer.

"Tor...res....?" replied a weak voice that was nearly at a whisper. If he had been any quieter, her recovering ears wouldn't have heard it at all. Quickly, she trekked to where she heard the voice, overcome with joy to know he was still alive. Still, it didn't eliminate her worry.

She gasped as she clapped eyes on Eli.

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_Author's Note: Oh, snap! First chapter. :P Reviews, please! Should I continue this story?_


	2. Homeostasis

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Yay, chapter two. :) I hope it's great. Thanks everybody for the reviews and encouragement! :D Please, read on, then review. ;)_

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**2. Homeostasis**

Ria only stood and stared with her mouth gaping, trying to fight back emotions again. Eli was pinned to the ground underneath a couple sizable hunks of concrete. One was over his abdomen and the other sandwiched his legs between the ground and itself. Eli squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, as if it would fight back the pain.

"Holy crap." Ria said quickly, sprinting to Eli's side. His teeth clenched together and his lips curled back as his face tensed in agonizing pain. Ria thought hectically of what to do. Should she try to push the small chunk of slab off Loker? Or would that cause more problems? The sounds of Eli's rasps convinced Ria of one of the choices and she set to forcefully removing the heavy piece of flooring. She grunted as she poured all her effort into it, glancing at Eli every now and then. His face tightened in pain and he tilted his head back as she tried to slide the weight off of him. As soon as she was able to shove it a safe distance away, she glanced back down to see the damage. Blood was already soaking his shirt and she couldn't help but suck in breath sharply and put a hand to her face. Eli tilted his head forward to investigate.

"I knew...something was wrong..." he mumbled wearily, dropping his skull back to the ground. "But...I think...I look pretty good in red." Eli smiled as he closed his eyes and breathed heavily. Even though her brain was working slowly, she understood that even now Eli was trying to keep her feeling calm. He didn't wear red much, if ever at all, and therein lays the flaw of his comment.

"How are...your slacks holding up?" he asked between breaths, a slight grin spreading across his face.

"Fine." Ria replied, smiling gently as if she was trying to comfort him. Obviously, he was the one with the level head and she was freaking out. "But, Lightman's going to be buying me a new pair of slacks at this rate!" Eli chuckled weakly, which soon transformed into soft coughing. Ria's eyes darted everywhere as she searched for any way out, and yet...there was none. They were stuck in this crumbling, hollow cube and Eli was bleeding badly. She shrugged off her jacket and her button-up shirt, revealing a tank-top, and pressed the blouse against Eli's injury. She could literally feel the shiver of pain run up his back and cause his face to pull into a grimace.

"This would be...perfect payback for something..." he grunted, forcing a smirk through a wince.

"Sorry, but I have to apply pressure!" Ria explained. Eli continued to keep the smile he had most every other day, even though Ria could see his eyebrows fixed up in pain. Perhaps before this incident, she would've denied Eli was important to her; but, she couldn't escape it now. She needed his good attitude, she needed his _smile_. That same smile he fought to show as he was lying on a concrete floor with blood trickling out of him. She was extremely worried over him, as it was a pretty chilly day and it wasn't as if the building was heated. Losing blood for Loker meant losing circulation, which meant loss of heat. She dragged her coat over him as she continued to press the shirt to his injury. Goose bumps were raised on her arms from the cold, but she was unimportant in this situation. Loker's breaths became shallow and strained and she noticed his smiles started to disappear as they were replaced by weary, uncomfortable expressions.

_Come on, Loker. Don't give up on me...smile!_ Ria thought as she watched him close his eyes temporarily. She knew: when his smiles started to fade, so did Eli.

"Hm… I don't know, Cal. I can't have those two out all day; I have some things I need them to analyze!" Gillian complained in Lightman's office, covering up the true reason behind her words.

"You came in my office just to tell me that." he stated, looking bored as usual.

"Well…yeah." she confessed, her eyes glancing away from his hazel ones. "Okay, so maybe I have a bad feeling!" Her statement gushed out of her mouth at a rapid speed, causing Cal to blink as his ears tried to catch up with her talking.

"You…have a bad feeling…" he replied mockingly, smirking.

"You know…My fortune cookie told me to follow my instincts and my instincts say something's wrong with those two going out there." she mumbled. Cal's eyebrows rose in disbelief and he let out a small scoffing chuckle.

"You're going to actually _follow_ your fortune cookie?" he laughed, definitely amused. "Gillian Foster, taking advice from a folded cookie." He shook his head, continuing to laugh, and went back to some paper work.

"It's not funny, Cal! I've got an awful feeling!" she defended, her ego shrinking with each 'ha' that came out of his mouth.

"Right, okay, love." he said with a grin, pretty much ignoring her. Somewhat embarrassed, she quickly walked out of his office, doubt growing in her mind. Maybe she _was_ being silly; that cookie had her paranoid. Ria and Eli were fine; they could handle a homeless guy. They weren't that incapable.

The worst that could happen was that Ria would get a little dust on her slacks.

Blood smeared on her pants as she rubbed her thigh for warmth. Ria felt as if she was slowly being frozen, but she could feel Eli shivering under her hand. She had kept pressure on the injury for, what felt like, an hour; but, she didn't think it was helping.

"G-g-geez it's c-c-cold…" Eli chattered. He became weaker with every short breath, but he continued to talk anyway. That was just like Eli: he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Ria smiled slightly at the thought, but it was bitter-sweet. "A-a-are you sure… y-y-you don't want your c-c-coat?" he inquired slowly, causing a lump to develop in her throat.

"No, Eli, you need it more." she muttered. He squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard before he continued with his panting. His eyelids looked as if they were getting heavy and alarm gripped Ria's heart. She had to keep him talking; she couldn't let him go to sleep.

"What's the first thing you'll do when we get out of here?" Ria asked, finding it difficult to think of a question. Eli's eyes slowly opened and his face flinched as a surge of pain originated from his abdomen and legs.

"I think...I th-th-think I'll take a loooong vacation..." he groaned, clenching his jaw. "I d-d-don't care what...what Lightman says about it..." Ria watched his chest rise and fall in small intervals and tried not to estimate how much time he had left. It was too cold, he was losing blood and there was probably a nasty gash on his leg as well. Ria had never even imagined Eli would be in a situation like this. It was a fluke he was out here anyway; usually he was stuck in the analysis room, staring at videos and recognizing the signals of a lie. Besides, how were they supposed to know that Jacobson was smart enough to protect his own premises? If only his choice of a security system hadn't been so...radical, Ria and Eli wouldn't be in this predicament. But, Ria could've listed several events that would've prevented Eli's injury if they hadn't happened. If Eli hadn't smirked...if Lightman wasn't cruel enough to send them to the site...if they hadn't walked into the bomb-rigged room...if Jacobson happened not to be a bomb-maker...

If it wasn't Eli that stood in the middle of the room...

A cough bubbled up in Eli's throat, breaking apart Ria's thoughts. His lips were chapped and his face was suspiciously still, injecting more concern into her mind. Her brain grappled for a conversation topic, tears nearly coming to her eyes when she struggled to come up with an idea.

"Th-this reminds me...of a b-b-biology course I took in college..." he wheezed, a small flicker of the corner of his mouth indicating a sad attempt at a smile.

"How so?" Ria croaked, gagging down a fearful tone.

"Homeostasis." he answered simply. Being not quite as educated, Ria looked at him inquiringly. His hardly open eyes picked up the expression and he took a few deep breaths before he continued to explain. "Homeostasis...internal equilibrium..." he huffed. "...your body k-k-keeping the s-s-same temperature...all the time...or when your immune s-s-system fights off a c-c-cold..." Eli coughed a little more and closed his eyes. "...one way to th-throw homeostasis off is...blood loss..." She glanced down at her pressing hands, trying to think of her high school biology class, but remembering she never really paid attention.

"What happens when you don't have homeostasis?" she questioned, though she feared the answer.

"Most likely...you die..." Eli muttered, but he didn't seem bothered by his own words. His eyes had a dull look to them and his breathing seemed much more peaceful, catching Ria's attention. If he was in a hospital, she wouldn't be worried at all, but he was in the middle of an abandoned building and she suspected that his change in condition wasn't a good sign.

"Eli?" she said, adjusting her hands over the bloody slit.

"Mmm?" he hummed, his eyes closed. He didn't even flinch when she pressed harder and her breath quickened from panic.

"Eli! Stay with me!" she demanded, tapping him on the face sharply.

"I'm trying...." he mumbled. "But I'm not cold anymore...and I can't feel anything...I'm really sleepy..."

"No, Eli, you have to stay awake. Come on, give me one of your stupid smiles." she growled, her heart feeling heavy and pulling on the strings of her emotions.

"I'm sorry, Torres...my face is too numb to smile..." he slurred, his eyes wandering wearily. The smiles were gone, which meant Eli was going to follow soon after.

* * *

Gillian paced back and forth in her office, still unable to shake off the troubling feeling her heart housed. This office was like her family, so when such a strong sensation clawed at her mind, she went beyond worry. Sure, Cal laughed at it and thought it silly. But he wasn't the one subject to this horrid, unmistakable impression.

"Still following your fortune cookie, love?" Cal inquired, leaning up against the doorframe. Gillian gave him a glare and continued to walk across her room in a repetitive fashion.

"I'm really concerned, Cal." she growled, furrowing her eyebrows into irritation. "I've never felt worse about anything; I'm sure of it." Lightman sighed and stepped further into her office.

"You're just paranoid." he told her, his face settling into annoyance.

"Have a heart, Cal." she scolded, stopping in her step. "It's _not_ paranoia."

"Fiiine..." he replied irritably, tugging his phone from his pocket. "I'll call Torres." Foster's eyes softened, but her body was still fixed with folded arms and frustration.

Cal searched through his contact list, finally happening upon Torres's number. He selected it, then held his phone up with a frown and pressed 'talk' harshly, just to show Foster he was calling.

* * *

Ria blinked back tears as she stared at her light blue shirt, soaked in blood. Eli wasn't talking much, simply inhaling and exhaling deeply as he struggled to keep awake.

"Wake up!" she urged him, her voice almost cracking. His eyes fluttered open and he tried to concentrate on staring at the destruction above him.

Somewhere in the collapsed rock, the mangled ringing of her cell phone sounded.

Ria wanted desperately to go search for it, hoping that it worked. But, she feared that if she left Eli for a moment, he'd go to sleep and never wake up again.

"What's that...?" he asked in a whisper, squinting with confusion.

"My cell phone." Ria answered quickly, staring in the direction of the ringing. Eli's eyebrows rose slightly and he lifted his hand a little to tug at her slacks. She immediately moved her gaze to him, taking in his ashen face and glazed eyes.

"Go...get it." he told her, looking somewhat sincere. "You can get out of here, at least..." She shook her head, not willing to take her now bloody hands off of his abdomen. "Ria, go get it." Eli had meant his order to be firm, but the weak rasp of his voice was hardly enough. But, it struck Ria in such away that she took the time to contemplate the matter through. Ria took a deep sigh and ran towards the ringing, frantic thoughts invading her head. Her shaky hands combed through the debris, finally reaching the phone. The damaged phone slipped in her stained hands, and she was about to press 'talk' when the call ended, leaving a faint message of a missed call on the cracked screen.

"No!" she snarled, quickly clicking through the contacts to Lightman. The phone went black and a little picture of the battery showed up.

_Low battery_.

"No! Crap!" she shouted. Her phone happened to survive, but just when she needed it, it ran out of battery. Hurriedly, she leapt over the cement rubble to get to Eli. She lost her phone, but she couldn't lose Eli too.

He was completely still, his eyes closed and his features unmoving.

"Eli!" she screamed.

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_Author's Note: Wasn't that exciting? :) Please review! I am fueled by reviews. :P_


	3. Skeptical

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Ha! Another one. :P Sorry, this one's short...but it stops just where I want it. ;) Reviews please!  
_

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**3. Skeptical**

"Hm, that's interestin'...she didn't answer." Cal mumbled innocently, even though he knew Gillian would take it differently.

"She _didn't answer_?" she inquired, pausing for a moment. Suddenly, she grabbed her coat and her purse and headed out of the office door. "What do you think that means, Cal?" she snarled, her worry blending into anger.

"That...her phone was on silent?" he suggested, jogging to catch up with her. "I'm sure they're fine, love." Gill never understood why Cal felt obliged to persuade her from checking on the young employees. If they were okay, then fine; but, should they not be...wouldn't he be thankful? It wasn't as if it was going to ruin her life if she drove down to that stupid building to peek in. This wasn't about Eli or Ria, it was about Cal's pride. He was going to stick to his original opinion and he was going to prove that he was right.

"Where are you going?" Reynolds inquired, as he casually blocked her path to get the answer. She stared longingly at the front doors, bitter about the several obstructions she was receiving.

"She thinks Loker and Torres are in a bit o' trouble." Lightman sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and setting his body into a frustrated position.

"For what reason?" Ben inquired, alarmed.

"She has a _feeling_." Cal muttered. Reynolds rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"That's it?" he asked, now having the same attitude as Lightman. It was understandable: Ben didn't believe anything unless he either wanted to, or if there was unmistakable proof. Foster puffed up her chest with determination, glaring at the muscled man. Her gaze alone caused Reynolds to take a few steps back and lower his tough guard.

"There is definitely something wrong and I refuse to deny it." she said sternly, leaning closer to Ben's face as she went. Reynolds stood stunned, glancing every once in a while in Lightman's direction. Gillian took a couple strides past Ben before he caught her by the shoulder. She spun around, enraged and just about ready to slap a man if that's what it took to let her out of there.

"Hey, at least let my boys check it out first." Ben offered, trying to again win favor in her eyes. She narrowed her eyes, deciding whether or not she could really trust him to carry the task through. She pursed her lips and shot a look of contempt at Cal.

"Okay, fine." she muttered. Inhaling through her nose as the fire calmed in her eyes. "But, if 'your boys,'" Gillian wiggled her fingers in quotes. "aren't there within the next hour, I'm going myself." She twisted around on her toes and headed back to her office, hostile air trailing behind her.

"Well, that was an adventure." Cal chimed, looking up at Ben.

"Eli! Eli, wake up!" Ria shouted, harshly patting his cheek. Desperation and horror soaked her insides and her breaths were coming as gasps. "_Eli!_" She slapped him hard across the face, then sat stunned at what she'd just done.

"Ow…." he groaned, slightly moving his head. "Wha'd I do…" Strangely, a giggle rose to her mouth, expressing her relief.

"You fell asleep." she reprimanded.

"Wha…?" he moaned, scrunching his face in confusion.

"Just…_don't_ fall asleep." Ria ordered, against sticking her hands under her coat and applying pressure to his injury. "How're you holding up?"

"I don't know…" he grumbled. "I don't know if I'd mind dying anymore…I'm just so…tired."

"Don't talk like that." she rebuked, bothered by his new philosophy. "They're going to find us." A small chuckled escaped Eli's lips. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"Lightman's going to kill us…" he whispered. "We didn't get his suspect…"

"No he's not." Ria laughed quietly. "He's not _that_ heartless."

"If I don't make it…that'll save Lightman the trouble…" Eli coughed slightly. Ria opened her mouth to speak, but Eli was quicker. "I know, I know…'don't talk like that'…" His eyes closed and he sighed peacefully.

"Eli?"

"Hm…?"

"No sleeping."

* * *

Gillian adjusted her position in her office chair. For some reason, she just couldn't get comfortable and it was hindering her ability to do work. She constantly checked her phone for calls from Reynolds, but to no avail. Her temporary favorite pastime was simply watching time pass. She stared at the clock as concern clawed at her conscious, waiting for _something_ to relieve her of this troubled feeling. Cal Lightman would never be that something.

"You're being too dramatic about all this." he stated, slowly walking into her office.

"Thanks, you're so sweet." Gillian replied sarcastically, acting as if she was totally enthralled with her paperwork to cover up her evident uneasiness. Her pen scribbled uselessly on paper and she knew she'd have to get another copy of the sheet later.

"But, it's just rubbish!" he chuckled. "What would Jacobson want to do with Loker and Torres?" He sat himself down in a seat before her desk, nestling into a comfortable posture.

"Well, I don't know, Cal. I've never met the man; he could be an insane lunatic." she muttered.

"Okay." he breathed. It was obvious he didn't agree with Gillian, but he wasn't about to say it.

"Why are you so intent on making me change my mind?" she blurted, slamming down her pen. "Why won't you even let me check on them?"

"Because there's no point!" he answered, throwing up his hands.

"There is a point, Cal." she growled. "They're people, not tools. What if I had this feeling about Emily, huh? Would you call her up just to make sure she's okay? I'm genuinely scared that something happened to Torres and Loker and you just laugh at it? You're a jerk!" Gillian stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room, leaving Dr. Lightman shocked and unsure of how to react.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small scrap of paper from his fortune cookie.

_Reach out more to others this week._

* * *

Reynolds drove on the lonely roads of quiet land. He had decided to take the task on by himself, as he didn't want to trouble the other agents if he had time on his hands. He thought all this was ridiculous, sure; but Gillian was bothered and she wasn't backing down. Okay, so Torres was alright to talk to, she was just a little ambitious. Still, she was professional in her work, so he liked talking about a case with her best. Her goofy partner on the other hand... Ben wasn't so sure he really enjoyed Loker's company. Eli had a light personality, but Reynolds didn't like his snide remarks and his lack of seriousness for each case.

The tires of the SUV rolled over gravel as Ben pulled up to the small mass of abandoned buildings. He didn't know why they were there in the first place, but he supposed it would be a perfect place for Jacobson to build bombs without anyone knowing.

"Hm, their car is still here..." he muttered under his breath as he parked and jumped out of his vehicle. There weren't any signs of disturbance, but there weren't any indicators of where Torres and Loker could be either. With a sigh, he trudged towards the large, brick building, acting as if this was taking him away from more important appointments.

He stepped over the threshold of the open door, glancing around the dirty innards of the structure.

"Torres!" he called, casually walking down the freezing, brick hallway. Ben thought that just being here for an hour could get into trouble: hypothermia. He chuckled to himself, taking the situation lightly. He couldn't imagine what kind of trouble those two could get in, except for perhaps offending the victims of their interrogation. Torres's pretty face would probably prevent most people from doing so much as to lay a finger on her and Eli was pretty harmless. Ben couldn't understand what Gillian was getting so worked up about.

"Torres!" he repeated, taking slow steps. "Loker!" He would call with his findings later, just to put Dr. Foster at ease.

* * *

"I said, '_no_ sleeping!'" Ria scolded, poking Eli's cheek and adding another bloody mark to his face. He could barely keep his eyes open by now and his skin was a ghostly color of white, causing the red smudges to stand starkly in their places. His gray eyes were clouded and looked as if they were staring off into an imaginary world.

"Sorry..." he whispered slowly, his breaths becoming long and measured. Ria took his hand to check his circulation: it was stone cold. She tried to tuck the coat beneath her friend and retain what little warmth he could maintain, but there was only so much she could do. Ria paused as a new sound reached her ears.

A muffled voice, though familiar.

"Eli! Do you hear that?!" she exclaimed, her joy gushing out generously.

"Hm...?" he sighed, his eyelids meeting together gently.

"I think it's Reynolds! Eli, it's Reynolds!" she told him excitedly, nearly sobbing.

He didn't answer.

"Eli?"

No answer.

"Eli! Wake up!" she shouted, taking his shoulders in her hands with desperation. The glanced between Reynold's muffled voice and Eli, then realized what she had to do.

She hiked to the door of the room, still being intact, even after the explosion, and started beating on it with her fists. Ria _needed_ Ben's attention, she needed him to get help for Eli. Ben was her only hope to bring both she and Eli out of there alive.

"Reynolds! _Reynolds_!" she yelled, still pounding on the door. Tears came from her eyes, leaving streaks on her dirty face. "_Please_, Reynolds! _Please_!!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Please! Reviews! Please! :P_


	4. Help

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Hm...for some reason I found this chapter hard to write. :/ But, hey! I tried my best! :) I hope you enjoy it! Reviews, please. ;)  
_

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**4. Help**

Ben stopped in his steady pace, unsure if he was hearing things or not; there were some weird things that went on with these old buildings. He strained his ears to listen carefully.

_Thud thud thud._

"_Please_, Reynolds! _Please_!!" shouted a stifled, frantic female voice. Torres. He quickly strode over to the door subject to her beating. "Please, Reynolds..." she sobbed.

"Torres?" he inquired loudly, leaning towards the door.

"Oh, Reynolds!" she gasped. "We need help!"

"Why, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to budge the door. There was a simple lock, which he untwisted, and tried again. But, there was still no movement.

"It's no use." she cried. "There's too much...stuff in the way."

"What happened?" he demanded, looking for another way in.

"Jacobson locked us in here...there was a bomb..." she blubbered, her emotions clearly stretched to their limits. Ben couldn't help but become anxious himself, since he had never imagined Ria to be the type to break down. "Eli...he's...he's..." She had difficulty fighting to the second half of her statement and Ben felt like tiny needles were poking into his insides.

"He's what, Torres?" he barked, staring at the wall as he waited for the dreaded answer.

"He's almost dead." she finally choked out. "There's so much blood, and it's cold...I just...Reynolds, help!" Ben's breath lingered in his chest until he finally remembered to release it. He was quiet, unsure how to answer. If Gillian hadn't had an awful feeling, how long would it have taken for them to find the two? Would it have been too late by then?

"Reynolds?" Ria whimpered on the other side of the metal door.

"I'm going to call help. Stay with Eli, I'll come back in a few." he said monotonously, still stunned by this discovery. He walked briskly to the outdoors, finding service on his phone to make a couple calls. First, help; then....Lightman.

* * *

"Jerk." Gillian sighed, still angry at Cal for his scoffing. She stood in the break room, stirring a third mug of herbal tea to soothe her nerves. Foster didn't want to leave the haven of the room, still wanting to avoid that awful idiot of a co-worker. She had always looked past his negativity and uncompassionate moments, but she was so hurt by how little of faith he had in her and her words that she couldn't let it go. A knock on the doorframe caused her to glance up and see the very person she wanted to be _away_ from.

"Love..." he mumbled, holding his cell phone in his hand. "I'm sorry." Terror gripped icily to her heart, widening her eyes.

"What is it? What's happened?" she shot off, setting down her tea and stepping towards Cal.

"Reynolds says Torres and Loker are stuck in part of the abandoned building." he muttered.

"Are they okay? They're just locked in, right?" she interrogated, coming closer still.

"Torres told Reynolds there was a bomb...Jacobson locked them in one of the rooms." Cal answered, then paused. Gillian's lungs lacked movement for a few seconds. "She also said that...Loker's badly injured." The air held inside Foster came out in a rush, only to be sucked in sharply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she gasped, a hand fluttering up to her collar bone as her eyes watered.

"I don't know; that's all he told me." Cal admitted guiltily. "I suppose that means we'll be going then, huh?"

"Oh, Cal..." she cried, crumpling up into his arms as her fears came true.

"It's alright, love." he assured her uselessly. She continued to weep bitterly into his shoulder, still affected from the shock.

* * *

"Come on, Eli. Wake up..." Ria moaned, gently shaking his shoulder for the tenth time. His pulse was still detectable, though barely, and his breath still came and went in small, steady amounts. Ria had never seen him so still in her life and it was just so...wrong. He didn't move from his office chair very often, but his eyes always danced with a smirk and there was _life_ to his face. Right now, there was nothing. He looked more like sculpted marble than he did a person.

"This isn't fair." Ria cried. "It's not fair..." Help was too slow and Eli's death was coming much too quick.

"Torres?" Ben's deep voice boomed through the door. Ria scrambled to reach the door, quick to reply to her only help line.

"Yeah?" she croaked, leaning her head against the cold iron.

"What's happened with Eli? How bad is it?" he inquired, afraid to hear the answer.

"We were in..." She sniffled, then went on. "separate areas of the room when it happened. Eli was the first to see the bomb and he was...he was the closest." She inhaled a shaky breath. "I don't know...there was just...there's lots of blood."

"Where? Where was he injured?" Ben demanded from the other side.

"His...his stomach..." she answered. "He's really pale...I told him not to go to sleep, but now he won't wake up." Tears rolled down her face as anguish enveloped her delicate features.

"Is he going to die?" she sobbed.

* * *

"That's brilliant, Reynolds." Cal said into his phone as he drove along the nearly deserted roads. "We'll be there in about ten minutes." Lightman flipped his phone closed and looked over at Gillian. She gazed out the window with reddish eyes and a tissue wound within her fingers.

"They're trying to get to Torres and Loker now." Cal informed her. "They're cutting open the door to get to 'em." She nodded, dabbing her eyes with the tissue. Reynolds had called the various emergency teams to successfully conclude this unlucky situation, including the bomb squad. Cal was speeding along the blacktop, rushing to get to the incident. Now he felt the anxiety and the fear, and he was sorry he'd ever doubted Gillian. His mind floated into its own world, repeating Gillian's words.

_What if I had this feeling about Emily?_

Now that Cal thought about, he _would_ have called his daughter, just to make sure. But why not his team? Why weren't they as important? Of course, he had gotten a lunatic to quit pressing a gun against Ria's head, telling the madman something about her making tea... But why didn't he care _enough_ just to check up on them? Was it because he thought they were capable? Or was it because his time was more valuable than a simple phone call?

_They're people, not tools_.

Cal cringed as Gillian's blatant statement of how she thought he viewed his team rippled through his conscious. Tools? Is that really how he treated them? He depended on them to do the work allotted to them and they worked hard but...they were human. For weeks he had been brushing away guilt as he watched Loker mooch from his co-workers, probably hardly having enough money to eat proper meals anymore. He had no pay...so how was he paying his bills? He was at The Lightman Group practically all day, how would he find time for a second job? But, it _was_ proper punishment and Loker was the one choosing to stay on the team. Was he really that intent to work at The Lightman Group? A new appreciation for Eli settled into Cal's brain as he took the time to think of the situation.

_Reach out more to others this week._

"You alright, Gill?" he asked. It was easy for him to show compassion to Foster and comforting her was just as easy. He'd done it several times before; it wasn't awkward for him to reach out to her.

"I'm fine." she sniffled. But, he was unaware of the frantic, hectic thoughts that tangled in her mind.

They could hear the gravel grind beneath them as they pulled up to the now busy site. Reynolds's SUV was parked beside what they knew was the vehicle Loker and Torres had came in. An ambulance waited for their patients and Cal's and Gillian's innards squeezed uneasily. As soon as the car was stopped, Cal turned the car off and they jumped out, quickly trekking towards the building.

Their footsteps echoed around the cold interior as they jogged to where all the action was. Ben stood stiffly and observed the work, waiting anxiously for the iron door to be taken off so he could rush inside.

"How's it goin'?" Cal asked the agent. Gillian hugged herself as she stared at the door.

"They're making progress." Ben answered, bouncing on his heels worriedly. "This whole thing just makes me nervous." The three of them watched the sparks fly as they watched the men try and remove the door. Gillian was just about ready to rip it off by herself.

* * *

Ria listened to the muffled noises outside, salty water flowing freely down her face. She would've held onto Eli's hand just for her own comfort, but it did more damage than comfort. It was like holding onto ice and it sent uncomfortable chills of dread up her back. If she had only _looked_ for her phone when she found Eli...If she'd found it then, it would still have had enough battery to call for help. Why didn't she look for it? She must not have been thinking. Imagine that: a job that forces her to use logic and she forgets to apply it when it really matters. Ria was all Eli had to depend on and she failed. At least, she thought she did.

"Oh, he'll never make it...!" she cried, finally giving up and covering her face with bloodied hands. "He's going to die!"

The iron door popped off its hinges.

* * *

_Author's Note: Intense. Now to stretch my fingers for the next chapter... A friendly reminder: reviews. Please? ;P_


	5. Questions

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Phew! *type type type* I'm finding my chapters to be shorter in this story...but I always have a place I want to stop them, so bare with me. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews are **much** appreciated. Very much so, in fact. ;P  
_

* * *

**5. Questions**

Gillian and Cal followed behind Reyonlds as they headed into the wreckage of the room. Paramedics sprinted inside before them and were already stumbling over to the victims, ignoring the fact that what was once a room was now reduced to an oversized box filled with rubble. Gillian glanced around the ruins, spotting smeared blood on various pieces of debris then finally the source of her panic.

Two people, one sobbing into her red-stained hands and the other...completely still.

"Hey we need some help over here!" a paramedic called as he and his partner tried to heave away the last chunk of concrete over Eli's legs. Several men rushed to lend a hand and Ria was pulled away from Loker's side, screaming and flailing.

"No! _No_!" she yelled, trying to fight against the men that held her. Gillian was quick to get to Torres while Lightman stared at the unbelievable scene before him. Loker—a constant headache for Cal—was bone white and lifeless. Ria's gray coat was over him, and a dark sanguine patch soaked through the thick cloth, earning Cal's lingering stare.

It wasn't right.

The emotionally tough Torres wasn't _supposed_ to have thick tear stains on her cheeks. Loker wasn't _supposed_ to be without that smug smirk. This scene was all wrong.

"Ria...Ria!" Gillian shouted, taking her employee by the shoulders. Torres looked at her, quieting down but still whimpering. It took everything Foster had to fight back her own tears as she witnessed the blood all over the young woman. "Ria, they're here to help."

"He's going to die." Torres mumbled, gazing at her wounded co-worker.

"No, he's not." Foster stated, but not catching her attention. "Ria, look at me!" Torres's eyes looked up to meet Gillian's. "Eli is not going to die." Ria's face contorted with emotion, causing Gillian to embrace her tightly as Torres wept into her shoulder.

"He's not going to die..."

* * *

Ria rode in the passenger seat. She had refused any treatment from the paramedics and couldn't bring herself to ride in the ambulance with Eli. It didn't matter; his ghostly face was bold in her mind anyway. She couldn't escape the cold truth of the day's events.

Cal was driving and Gillian sat in the back, her seatbelt unbuckled and leaning forward to be close to Ria. Cal couldn't help but keep glancing at his protégé, taking in the bloody dashes on her face.

_Reach out more to others this week_.

"You alright, love?" he asked, concern lacing his features. Ria took a deep sigh and continued to stare out the window.

"I don't think so." she answered truthfully as she felt a twinge of extreme sorrow in her heart and pricks in her eyes.

"Will it make you feel better to talk about it?" Gillian questioned, both uneasy and desperate to know what had happened in that room. Ria inhaled loudly and blinked several times while a shaky hand went through her dusty hair.

"You can tell us later, alright?" Cal told her, reading her face. She wanted to talk, but not now.

"I want to go to the hospital." Ria stated, still avoiding their eyes.

"Oh, Ria...we should at least get you all cleaned up." Gillian replied. "You need to relax for awhile. It would be best if you were away from that atmosphere for awhile." Torres looked displeased, but she knew it was the truth. "He'll most likely be in surgery anyway." Foster wasn't about to tell Torres about the fear she saw in the paramedic's faces. Yeah, Eli would most likely be in surgery...if he survived the trip to the hospital. She was aching to go herself; but, right now Ria needed her and Ria needed comfort not reassuring fear.

* * *

Reynolds had followed closely behind the ambulance. It was true that Eli had never really been his favorite employee at The Lightman Group, but now he suddenly wanted that teasing personality preserved. He couldn't understand it himself. Of course, he didn't want Eli to die, but he didn't understand why he was so desperate to have the kid live. Maybe Eli had grown on him, and he just hadn't recognized it. Loker was a nuisance, painfully honest, annoyingly sarcastic...but he had a light air about him, and that made cases much more bearable. Now, Ben could see it. Eli was an asset to the team because he brought to the table what no one else could: his silly smiles.

* * *

Cal sat in the car, waiting for Ria and Gillian. They had stopped by Torres's apartment and Foster was helping the troubled young woman freshen up. They'd been in there for awhile already and he was getting antsier with each minute. He had already called Reynolds and asked him to keep him updated on Eli while they dealt with Torres. Ben was the only part of the team that could make it to the hospital and Cal had to accept that that would be as close as he would get to Eli for the next hour or so. Thankfully, Eli had gotten to the hospital alive and was just going into the OR, but the following hours would be full of dread and hope. Cal was sympathetic for Torres; he had only seen Eli for a short while and he still couldn't escape the stark image in his mind. Torres had been exposed for much longer.

The click of the car door snapped his attention in another direction as he saw Foster guide Torres into the front seat. His protégé was now in clean clothes: jeans and a black coat. Her hair was washed, but still damp, and Cal could now see the little cuts on Ria's face.

"Where are we going?" Cal asked Gillian, trusting the psychologist more than his traumatized employee.

"To the office." Foster answered. "Ria has decided she wants to talk to us." Cal glanced over at Torres, finding the signs for this to be true, and put the car in drive.

"Loker's in surgery." Cal said, smoothly making his way to The Lightman Group. "Reynolds is at the hospital," he looked over at Ria. "he'll keep an eye on Loker." Torres didn't respond, as her mind was still lingering to the past. She had to tell somebody, she had to get her memories out. How hard it had been to keep Eli awake, how it was even harder to watch him chuckle about something that was_ not_ okay. The fact that Eli made it to the hospital gave her a glimmer of hope. But, she still couldn't believe that he would come out of this completely okay. After what she had just witnessed, it seemed too easy for him to return to his original self. How could he? She couldn't remember what he looked with more color in his face. She could hardly remember the smirks. All that flooded her mind was the shivers, the winces and then...stillness. Ria's mind was so distracted that she hardly noticed when Lightman pulled into a parking space and turned off the car.

"Come on, Ria." Gillian urged as she helped the young woman out of the vehicle. Cal stared at her worriedly as they made their way into The Lightman Group and straight to his office. Still lingering faculty watched them go by, but everyone was completely silent. What could they possibly say?

"Sit down, love." Cal said softly as Ria slowly sat herself into the cushy seat. Gillian pulled up the second chair to be closer to Torres while Cal sat in his desk chair.

"Tell us what happened." Gillian whispered gently, aware of the suffering Ria had gone through. Even recounting the tale could be painful.

Before Ria could say one word, she started sobbing, burying her face in her hands.

* * *

Reynolds was alert. It was getting late; he could see the inky darkness outside and the diminishing staff of nurses. Doctors with tousled hair and five o' clock shadow trudged by as they tried to get a little sleep before going on with their shift. Lightman hadn't called in awhile, but he didn't worry about it. Torres was a victim too, but not just in a physical sense.

Ben had sent out a series of calls to catch Jacobson, intent on arresting the man before he left town. He wanted to go cuff the criminal himself, but the hospital was where he needed to be; he wasn't about to leave. Not only did Cal and the others rely on him for being there, but he was genuinely scared for Eli. It was hard to imagine the young man doing something other than leaning back in his desk chair and tossing a small, foam football into the air. He was generally carefree. But, right now...

He was fighting for his life.

* * *

"_I said, '_no_ sleeping!'"_

No sleeping? Then what was he doing now? Eli wandered through his mind, only finding darkness and silence.

_"Eli! Stay with me!" _Was he going somewhere? He couldn't remember. He didn't even recognize the voice echoing around his head. It was a woman, he knew that. But...why was she talking to him? Where in the world was he? He was really tired. Eli felt like he was supposed to fight it, to keep awake, but why? Was it doing him any good? His thoughts were muffled with questions as he tried to get bearings on what was happening. Eli started to succumb to his weariness, finding no reason to keep conscious.

_"No, Eli, you have to stay awake_._"_ But, why? He wanted to ask this voice, but he couldn't find the ability to speak. Somebody wanted him to stay awake and he wasn't getting any answers from them, so might as well search out the answers himself. He pushed on in his mind, wondering where he should look. This was ridiculous. How could he find what he was looking for if he didn't know where to search? He sighed and stayed still. It's no use.

_"Come on, give me one of your stupid smiles."_

Stupid smiles? Was it possible this person knew more about him than himself? What was she talking about? His curiosity sparked and he pushed on, looking, even though he didn't where he should explore. She sounded anxious...but...why?

_"Eli?"_ What?

_"Loker!"_ Where did that voice come from? It had a weird accent...and it was...angry? It was familiar... and, strangely enough, the female voice started to sound like something he'd known all along.

_"You think it's funny, don't you, Loker?"_ What was he talking about? _"You and Torres are going to fetch Jacobson. Don't you come back here until you've got him, got it? Now, buzz off!"_ Torres...? Torres? Torres! The woman was Torres! Eli fumbled around his mind, trying to find more answers. Something bad had happened to him... Torres was there, she knew. She kept telling him to stay awake...Right, he _had_ to stay awake. Lightman was probably furious. Lightman? Who the heck was Lightman?

_"Oi, Loker!"_ Oh, _that_ was Lightman.

_"Eli?"_ What did Torres want now?

_"No sleeping."_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Hey, how'd you like it? Can you send me a review? All you have to do is press that button down there and tell me what you want to... Please? :)_


	6. Verdict

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Oki doki, starting to wrap this story up. :) It's fun working with these characters, I admit. XD I hope you enjoy this chapter! **Please** review. :)  
_

* * *

**6. Verdict**

"It was horrible..." Torres sniffled. Cal and Gillian sat stunned as Ria's story came to an end, having ridden the worry rollercoaster with her for the past half an hour. It wasn't that Torres had just been there, powerless and unable to properly help Eli; but, she had to watch him fade which was probably extremely hard to go through.

"He'll be okay, Ria." Gillian crooned, softly rubbing Torres's shoulder. Ria had never really appreciated Foster's compassionate personality before, but she couldn't have been more thankful than now. Ria had grown up with a life filled with pain and misery and she honestly never thought she'd get any further than a piece of airport security. But, here she was, nestled into The Lightman Group already. She fit in here, despite her past. Torres had a great coworker to talk to who would never do worse than tease her. Her mind wandered as a question floated into her head. What if the roles had been switched today? What if it was Eli that was okay and Ria was the one bleeding profusely?

Eli might've tried to crack jokes and act like everything was alright. Then again, he might've had a cooler head. He probably would've looked for his phone right away. Or...maybe he wouldn't have known what to do. The only time she'd seen him frantic was when he had to tell her his secret about leaking info to the SEC. Plus, that whole ordeal was the only time she'd seen him lie.

Gillian and Cal were talking quietly to each other as Ria's mind came back into focus.

"—Reynolds. I'd like an update, even if Eli's still in surgery." Foster said as Torres's ears cut back into the conversation, wiping away moisture from her eyes.

"Alright..." Cal sighed, standing up and already dialing his phone. He migrated to a separate section of his office, pacing around as he muttered into the receiver.

"Can we go to the hospital now?" Ria asked, now toughening herself back up. She had a temporary loss of control over her emotions. It was great and all, but she had to collect herself at some point. Now that she'd told her bosses the tale of Eli's suffering as well as her own, a heavy burden of sorrow and stress had been lifted from her shoulders. Blubbering about it wasn't going to make anything better all of a sudden. The only thing that would give her happiness right now was to know Eli was going to be alive and well for the rest of a proper lifetime.

"Um...sure." Gillian answered, still uncertain if she should expose Ria to the stressful atmosphere of the hospital. But, Torres wanted to be there for her partner; why should she stop that?

"Eli is still in surgery." Cal mumbled, his bored expression now replaced by one of concern.

"Then, let's get to the hospital." Gillian stated, staring at Cal with seriousness.

"About time." Cal muttered, smirking.

* * *

Eli still couldn't understand where he was. It was like he was stuck in his mind with only voices, but no images. He couldn't even see himself.

_"What do you think you're doing, Loker?"_ Lightman's voice echoed. He was trying to figure out what was going on! Did Lightman always talk to him in such a callous fashion? He couldn't remember. Wasn't Lightman his boss? Why did he work there if his boss was so cruel sometimes?

_"Try not be gone too long, Loker. I need you and Torres to analyze some videos."_ Who was that? A woman, no doubt; she had a soft voice and he remembered it being kind, even if it wasn't towards him...Foster. Foster was here now. But what is this about analyzing videos? What did she mean?

_"Everybody lies, Loker. Just find the bloody truth!" _Lightman ordered. He was getting confused: nothing made sense. Who was lying? And, duh, he was trying to find the truth. He _only_ wanted the truth! He wanted to _remember_!

* * *

The team sat nervously in the waiting room chairs. It had been most of the night already and they still hadn't heard any news about Eli. Of course, they wanted something to help ease their worry, but at least nobody had come out to inform them of Loker's death. He was going to make it; he had to. If he didn't, the team would never be able to accomplish a peace of mind.

Cal couldn't keep his mind from beating himself up. Why didn't he just trust Gill and call up Torres earlier? Scratch that; why didn't he just trust Gillian in the _first place_? He should've spent less time ridiculing her and more time supporting her. He made a wrong move.

Gillian couldn't understand why she hadn't been more persistent in telling Cal of her bad feeling. She should've driven to the building herself when he didn't listen the first time. Maybe they wouldn't be sitting here with such a thick air of suspense and terror.

Ria hated herself for not thinking of her phone when her eyes clapped on Eli in the beginning. What if he ended up not recovering fully? Would he blame her for it? Would he realize she hadn't quite done everything she could have...that she _should_ have? Could she face him?

Reynolds was ashamed of how many times he had glowered at the young lie detector. Eli had never really deserved it, but he had always been Ben's favorite subject to dump his sour attitude. He couldn't think of a time he actually gave Loker a smile. Of course, Eli was full of them and always willing to offer one, even if it was attached to a sarcastic statement or a joke.

They all had their own problems to wrestle.

"Anyone here for Eli Loker?"

They all looked up.

* * *

"_Eli! Wake up!"_ Torres's voice bounced off the walls of Eli's head. He reached out to try and find her, to remember her face. The world around him became a dark red and, oddly, he recognized it. Oh...it was the back of his eyelids.

He struggled to open his eyes, fighting against the blinding light in the room. Eli squinted and blinked, then it all seemed to hit him.

He hurt.

"Ugh..." he groaned, closing eyes again. He wanted to reposition himself, but he ached too much to gather up the motivation.

"Eli?"

He had to think awhile to make sure he was in the real world, not in his head. How could he be sure his mind wasn't imagining it?

"Eli?" it repeated, so he tried to answer.

"...What...?"

"Geez, you're okay!" the voice gasped. It sure sounded like Torres, but he didn't remember her ever using a tone like that. He opened his eyes again, exploring the room. But, his wandering came to a halt as he noticed Ria looking over him, scratches imbedded in her skin..

"Torres...?" he croaked. That was her...right? She had Ria's voice, yet he still had to match a face with it. She seemed like the most obvious answer.

"Yeah, Eli, it's me." she laughed. A door slid open somewhere he couldn't see and a few footsteps tapped across the floor.

"Is he awake?" said a puzzled British accent. It was Lightman, but Eli still couldn't place what he looked like. The steps continued until the familiar face appeared at his bedside. Eli couldn't help but smile when he saw Cal. How could he possible forget that face?

Cal and Ria were relieved to see the upturn of Eli's lips.

"If it's any consolation, you look terrible." Lightman stated matter-of-factly. Eli could only imagine the dark scruff he was probably getting.

"How long have I been out...?" he muttered, his eyes battling against the illumination of hospital lights.

"A few days." Ria answered, obviously unhappy with the thought as an evident frown took over her features. He struggled to think of why he could be in this room. He knew he was in a hospital; the cast on his left leg and the IV in his arm was proof of that. But, he still couldn't recall what had occured before he came here.

"What...what happened...?" he mumbled, narrowing his eyes. Cal and Ria exchanged looks of alarm.

"You were in an accident. There was a bomb." Torres answered, trying her best to use gentle words. Her peaceful tone didn't help; the word 'bomb' really set the memory off. It flooded into his head, almost drowning him as he took in the trauma, the misery, the hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut and he could hear his heart rate monitor quickening in pace.

"Eli, stay with me." Ria said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, you're alive; you made it out just fine."

"You kept saying that..." he moaned, bringing a weak hand to his head as he tried to control the several emotions raging through his system.

"What?" she inquired bewildered.

"Neither one of you would _shut up_...!" he explained, bringing himself back to normal and blinking back tears of past fear. He was fine, of course he was. But, he had to keep telling himself over and over again.

"What in the bloody world are you talking about, Loker?" Cal questioned, looking almost bothered.

"You two were in my head and you wouldn't leave me _alone_...!" Eli whispered loudly. "Torres kept telling me to stay awake...and you...you just kept yelling at me...!" Ria grinned, looking up at her mentor. Lightman couldn't help but sneak a smirk himself at the thought of being a part of Eli's conscience.

"Well, I'm glad you're back." Ria chuckled.

"Mmm...." Eli grumbled, closing his eyes for a moment. He heard muffled sound and then everything drifted into silence, unconsciousness pulling him back into sleep.

* * *

"That's great!" Gillian exclaimed into the receiver. "Oh, Cal, I wish I could've been there." She paused as she listened. "Well, you know I couldn't, I've got work to do the same as everybody else." Cal babbled on the other end. "Don't worry about it, I'm almost done." Her partner protested, his British whining inciting a smile on Gillian's face. "No, no! Don't you dare dump it all on her! I'm serious! I'm almost done here; I'll come down as soon as I'm finished. Yeah, yeah...alright, bye." Foster put down the receiver, scribbling one of the last bits on her paperwork. This was one of the few pieces of paperwork she was thrilled to do. These special sheets of paper were Jacobson's ticket to prison. Yep, they had caught Jacobson, they found lies and evidence, and now he was going to prison according to the team's satisfaction. Sweet, sweet justice.

"Hey, any news from Lightman?" Ben inquired as he slowly strode into her office.

"Yeah, wonderful news!" she answered, quickly writing down the last sentence. "Eli woke up for a little while; he's going to be just fine."

"Really? And _you_ missed it?" Reynolds teased, honestly thinking Gillian would've been the one at Eli's side, not Lightman. She was the nice one, Cal _definitely _wasn't. Maybe he was a teddy bear on the inside...deep, _deep_ inside.

"Oh, shoosh." she laughed, too high on a good mood to let anything even dent it. "Let's just go see Eli."

* * *

_Author's Note: I think I'll tack on one more chapter before I officially end this tale. Please review! :D_


	7. Healing

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television show "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Aww....sad, guys. It's over! D: Actually, that's really all I've got for this story. :P But I **most definitely** appreciated all your reviews and support and I'm glad I was able to entertain a few souls with pretty words and scary sentences. XD It was fun while it lasted. :) Thanks, again! Oh, and give me one last review...pleeeeeeaaaaase? :)  
_

* * *

**7. Healing**

Several pairs of eyes stared as Eli rolled into work in a wheelchair. Instantly, his bright grin lit up the workplace, despite the heavy cast on his leg. It had only been a couple of weeks since the accident and nobody expected him to be back so soon. Several of his coworkers would admit that they would take advantage of such a moment and steal all the vacation time they could. But, to every man his own...

"Eli! I didn't know you got out of the hospital!" Torres exclaimed as she quickly strode up to him.

"Yeah…well, I told the nurses and such to keep it on the down low." he replied, smirking. He caught Ria staring at the wheelchair and chuckled. "Do you like the new set of wheels?"

"Why…? I thought you only broke one leg!" she said, confused. It was true that, through some unknown miracle, Eli had kept one leg intact. He claimed it was the power of calcium.

"I did, but the other one is a little bruised too." he explained. "Plus, I've still got the stitches in my side."

"Oh, right." she mumbled, looking a little embarrassed. "Then…how did you get here?"

"Hey, I've got friends…" he informed her, wearing a hurt expression.

"Well, I…I…"

"Don't worry about it." he laughed. "I'm just teasing. My buddy drove me here." Ria smiled weakly, finding this situation uncomfortable: she didn't quite know how to act.

"Hey," Eli said, catching her attention. He peered at her with a smile and a cheery spark in his eyes. "you don't need to be so formal with me."

"Ah, my most annoying employee's finally come back, huh?" Cal called, his head tilted to the side as he walked. Eli always found it a little funny, but it was fitting for the scientist.

"Cal!" Gillian scolded, a scowl on her face. They had come as soon as they heard the news of Eli coming into work, dropping whatever they were doing. Even though Cal smoothed his face over with a sober expression, he was just as anxious as Gillian to see his young staff member.

"Of course, I'm always here to annoy." Eli assured with a slight nod. "Somebody has to do it." Reynolds walked into the main lobby with a manila folder in his hands, but instantly snapped it shut as soon as he saw Loker, and strolled over to where everyone else stood.

"Hey, it's good to see you!" he said happily as he placed himself between the rest of the team. Eli stared at him, looking stunned.

"Maybe my meds are causing me to hallucinate." he muttered, averting his gaze and blinking.

"What are you talking about?" Ria questioned, looking uneasy. Maybe Eli wasn't okay.

"Is it just me, or is Ben Reynolds actually being…nice to me?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"Very funny, Loker." Ben grumbled. He should've known he would get mockery in return for a kind gesture.

"Maybe I should get in the hospital more often…" Eli whispered to himself.

"Oh, yes, a truly diabolical plan!" Cal scoffed. "Don't talk rubbish, Loker."

"I think our sympathy might wear off after the third visit to the hospital." Reynolds chuckled, shaking his head. He just had to remember that Loker was joking around, but it was a little difficult to accept.

"And, besides that, I'd get quite a bit of scars." Eli shrugged.

"Well, don't try to use your handicap to interfere with your work." Cal ordered.

"Oh, I won't." Eli answered, grinning. "But don't be surprised if I accidentally run over your foot after a hefty workload." Lightman aimed a well-placed glare, but Eli continued to look at him innocently.

"Get to work...the whole lot of you!" Cal ordered, acting as if he wasn't relieved to see Loker in the process of healing. He shuffled away while Eli tried to stifle a snicker.

"I think I'm really growing on him." he told Ria, who smirked in reply.

"It _is_ nice to see you looking so...healthy." Gillian commented with a smile before she attempted to catch up to Cal. The three remaining watched them go with shaking heads.

"They really should just get together." Eli mumbled.

"Loker!" Ria gasped, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey! I'm just sayin'!"

"I better get out of here before I start getting used to this kind of company." Ben muttered, reopening the manila folder.

"Aww...but we were bonding!" Eli called after him. When it was apparent the agent wasn't going to come back, he looked up at Torres.

"That just leaves you and me." he said with a wink. She rolled her eyes and walked ahead of him.

"Come on, you cripple."

* * *

"Eli comes back from the hospital and all you can say to him is that he's annoying and 'get to work!?'" Gillian reprimanded. "That's cold, Cal, even for you."

"I did visit him, didn't I?" he replied, toying with a pen in his hands. He wasn't exactly guilty, but he didn't like Gillian trying to teach him some sort of lesson.

"Oh, please." she snorted. "Did you learn anything from this experience..._at all_?"

"I did learn one thing." he responded, reaching into his pocket.

"And what's that?" Gillian growled, plopping into a chair and glowering at her partner. Lightman could be so...difficult at times.

"That maybe...maybe I should start listening to my fortunes more often." he stated, holding up the small scrap of paper. She smiled as her eyes fell on the fortune.

"Maybe you should."

"Ah...but then means I'd have to be nicer, doesn't it?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh no! All done. :) Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave reviews! XD_


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